Unliving
by The Username Found
Summary: Rube has said 'It spoils, goes bad, souls go bad in all kinds of ways.'and if George misbehaved more he said, 'Then you go away, and you don't get to like anything anymore'. What exactly does Rube know about that, and who's the woman saying she's zombie?
1. Before the Beginning

_**Prologue**_

"It's coming," whispered a girl dressed in a simple blue nightgown. That, along with her dirty violet-red hair, was covered with dirt and mud. Her sea green eyes stared dully ahead.

"What's coming?" A boy asked standing up quickly. The chair he had been sitting in, fell back and onto the ground. Instead of going to pick it up, the male reached out to touch the girl's arm, but she slipped away from him.

"Got to prepare," she said, in the same dead, wispy tone. She didn't even glance over at him as she continued to pad inside the room, leaving muddy footprints, as she headed over to the bookcase. As she reached for a few books, and turned around, eyes still glazed, she said again, "Got to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" The boy cried out in anger.

The female spoke nothing more as she made her way across the room. Her bare feet making not a sound against the wooden floor. She didn't seem to notice that there was anyone but her in the room as she headed passed him and disappeared, like a ghost, into their bedroom.

For a moment, Jason stood unsure what to make of any of this. His silvery-blue eyes watched the open door to where she had gone, almost a minute ticked by before his muscles even dared move. He shook his head with a mix of panic and frustration, slowly as his fingers clenched unnerved at his sides. His head whirled with questions.

But everything froze the moment his girlfriend stepped back out into the living room. And before he could calm himself, Jason snapped.

"Mind telling me what the hell that was all about?"

Confusion filtered into the eyes of Ms. Cheshire as she studied him for a moment. "Wh-what do you mean?" Her voice faltered having never head such venom in her lover's voice before. What had she done to make him so upset with her?

"Look at yourself, Chesh. You are covered in mud! You've been gone for hours without even a note or anything saying where you had gone. Don't you know how worried sick I was?" He spat, her confusion causing him to override his reason with fear, "And then you said it was coming and you had to prepare. Prepare for what? What's coming?"

"I don't…" Tears filled her eyes as she looked down at herself. "I don't know… I don't understand." Her voice cracked as the first set of tears began to drip down her mud-stained cheeks. Cheshire hugged herself as she sobbed. "Please don't be angry at me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I don't remember."

Jason walked swiftly towards her and bundled her tightly in his arms as his anger and confusion shifted to one of sorrow and guilt. He had never meant to make her cry. He never wanted to see her cry. "You do not have to be sorry, my sweet love. I'm sorry I yelled at you. Chesh. You just scared me. I thought I had lost you. I thought the one thing I cared about was gone forever."

The girl sniffled into his embrace. Her head buried deep into his flat, warm chest.

He rubbed her back, his light orbs looking down onto her. Jason kissed her forehead softly, his lips barely touching her forehead. "Shall we go back to bed? Take a warm bath? Or perhaps you'd like me to make you some tea to calm your nerves?"

Cheshire tilted her head up to study him with tear stained eyes. "Maybe some tea would be nice…"

Jason smiled as he locked his lips with hers. "I love you," he said pulling away from her. His arms fell limply to his side.

"I love you too," she whispered, smiling back, before reaching for his hand, which he took up to his lips kissing her knuckles gently before holding it softly by his side. He jaunted his elbow so Cheshire could cling to his arm, as she often liked to do. Once she had hung her arms around him, they set off to the kitchen, which ironically had been the same door Cheshire had appeared from.

"Oh." the female gasped, eyes widening at the sight of the trailing mud. "I'm so sorry." She whispered tears threatening to spill again. "I'll clean it up."

"Don't worry about it." Jason said firmly, his eyes drawn into her own.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Hope?"<p>

Cheshire jolted as fingers touched her arm. "Yes?" she asked, shrinking away from those cold fingers as her head spun round to face the intruder.

"I'm sorry. You were sleeping."

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice strained. She was having such a lovely dream too. But now it was gone. Cheshire huffed annoyed at the tall man backed slightly away from her.

"We shall be moving on by tomorrow."

She tilted her head as the female said with slight uncertainty of hope. "There?"

The man nodded, somberly, "I figured you'd want to know."

Cheshire nodded her head, "Thank you." As he turned to leave she tilted her head counting days silently in her head. A small satisfied smile crossed her face as excitement bubbled inside her.


	2. Two Reapers and a Zombie

_**Chapter One**_

"I'm heading into town. I'll be back soon." Cheshire called out to the others whom huddled like ghosts around the dying embers. There weren't many, as most still were asleep or had just retired for the night. The female waved farewell to the few aware of her before she began to head towards the morning light and towards the town.

It took about an hour for her to walk into town. She was in no rush. As the buildings emerged and surrounded her, Cheshire merely smiled and took the sight with a broad smile. And although she passed people on the street, no one seemed to pay her any heed, all caught up in their daily lives.

"What's got up Rube's ass today?"

"I'm not sure, Georgie. You didn't go about bloody fucking up again, did ya?"

Cheshire tilted her head slightly as her ears picked up on a conversation. Her eyes darted back finding a girl and guy who just walked past her. The female blinked slowly recognizing him from a long time ago.

"Mason?" She asked turning quickly to follow them. Sure that it was him, she reached for his shoulder, relief flowing through her. "Mason!"

The man, Mason, turned around with confused and then smiled brightly. "Cheshire!" He pulled the girl into a hug. "How are you? What brings you back here?"

"I'm good," Cheshire laughed as the two friends pulled away, "What about you? I heard you had went back to England. Guess I was wrong, so who's this?" Her bay leaf green eyes turned onto the rather awkward looking girl.

"Um, I'm George," the girl said as she looked over at Mason with a hitched eyebrow before looking back at Cheshire. "So are you a reaper or something?"

Both Mason and Cheshire, busted out with laughter.

"Not a reaper." Cheshire said, retaining her composure first. She smiled softly at the girl as she continued, "No, I'm what you call an Unliving."

"Unliving?"

"It's a term, I came up with." Cheshire said.

George blinked slowly, getting slightly annoyed, "Well, what does it mean?"

"It means Georgie girl, if Rube catches you hangin-"

"Rube's still around then?"

"Yes," Mason said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Still hates my guts I see," Cheshire said with a solemn nod of understanding.

"What did you do to get Rube angry at you?" George asked.

Mason clapped his fellow reaper on the back. "You see. Why is he mad at you, Chesh, I forget the whole explanation."

"You were probably high at the time," Cheshire said with a laugh and then thought about it for a few seconds, "Well, it's not what I did, but what I am. More or less, I'm a zombie."

"A zombie?" George asked skeptically. "Okay now I know you two are shitting me. Daisy put you both up to this?"

"Who?" Cheshire asked confused and shook her head, "No."

Mason covered his heart with his hand, whining slightly, "No one put us up to this, Georgie-girl, I swear to you this is the truth it is.."

"Yeah, well-" George, looked down at her post-it, "Shit, I'm going to be late."

George began to take off down the street, Mason close behind her.

"See you guys later then." Cheshire yelled with a wave, after a second she called out, "Hey! Mason, you still eat at Der Waffle House?"

"Yeah," said Mason running backwards almost tripping over some people as he yelled back.

Cheshire smiled, "Good. See you there!"


	3. More Questions then Answers

**CHAPTER TWO**

**Disclaimer: **_There are some Dead Like Me episode mentioning. They are not mine of course, but it helps puts more 'validation' on what goes on for this story. Or at least what I interpretive on 'what did Rube know?' as George puts it._

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><p>George was laying awake in bed. Another night of insomnia had crept upon her, and George was left thinking about the strange girl she and Mason had ran into that day.<p>

_The zombie? _

George had gone through the zombie faze. Freshman year. Her mother, Joy, frowned heavily when she had found that tape of 1978's Dawn of the Dead.

"Georgia what is this?" Her mother asked waving the tape in George's face.

And of course, George had rolled her eyes taking the tape and shut the door in her mother's face. She was pretty sure her little sister, Reggie, watched the entire confrontation.

It made her curious if her little sister had gone into a zombie faze. _Were zombies even considered cool anymore? _

Squeezing her eyes shut, George recalled what the movie said. Zombies were slow movie, arms raised, feet dragging creatures of the moving dead. A reanimated corpse.

The girl who knew Mason - _Cheshire _- she didn't seem like a zombie. She wasn't a decaying mess trying to eat every brain in sight. _No, she seemed human. Alive. _George covered her eyes with her arm, sighing heavily. _No. Unliving. _Just as George was a reaper, undead; Cheshire was no doubt telling the truth about her being Unliving. _Whatever that was. But Cheshire knew Rube. _

George began pondering exactly what Rube knew. From what Mason had said about Cheshire, Rube would be pissed if George had caught hanging out with Cheshire. But why?

George slow uncovered her eyes, her arm falling against her bed. Rube had said something to her once. Long ago. Her mind slowly went over her first reap. George had pulled the little girl to safety on the train just before it crashed.

Rube of course hadn't been happy to hear she didn't reap the little girl's soul. He had yelled at her. But she was just a little girl. George let her mind wander to what exactly Rube had said.

"Her fate was sealed the moment she got onto that train." Rube had explained to her. "Her soul expired. You know what happens when you keep a soul after it's time?"

"No."

"Same thing happens to milk. It spoils, goes bad, souls go bad in all kinds of ways."

"But-"

Rube had cut her off, rather pissed. "If you're having trouble comprehending the severity of the situation, why don't you consult Webster's on the definition of bad? If you don't take her soul, it's going to wiither and die and rot inside her. I've seen it happen. Do you wish to condemn her to that?"

George rain her fingers through her hair. Had he meant, Cheshire? Was she a 'bad soul'? Was that why Cheshire had called herself a zombie, a self-named Unliving.

So why exactly was Cheshire like that?

Someone must have fucked up. And if so, did Rube know? Was that why he was so rough on her? Was it because of someone having messed up before that Rube had been such a hard ass on her?

"You like speghetti, George?" Rube's voice filtered into her head. "I like spaghetti. I like board games. I like grabbing a trifecta with that long-shot on top. That ozone smell you get from air purifiers. And knowing the space between my ears is immeasurable. Mahler's first. Bernstein conducting. You've got to think about all the things you like and decide whether they're worth sticking around for. And if they are, you'll find a way to do this."

And then her snaky remark, filtered into her mind, "And what if I don't."

"Then you go away," Rube had said, "And you don't get to like anything anymore."

Was that what happened to Cheshire's reaper. That he or she screwed up so many times, refusing to collect Cheshire's soul, helping to save her from dying? -that Cheshire's reaper went away forever.

Fuck.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

And Mason wouldn't say any more. He pretended like nothing was wrong when they went to Der Waffle House. Like they hadn't ran into the mulberry - had to be dyed - haired, green eyed female. The woman didn't even show up, and nothing seemed out of place.

George wanted to mention to Rube about Cheshire. But George was still hoping the zombie would show up. So she kept her mouth shut and hoped that tomorrow morning she would see more of this woman.

Maybe tomorrow she'd have more answers then questions. George rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

Maybe tomorrow…


	4. Sisters?

**Chapter Three**

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Dead Like Me and what occurs for this chapter is because of what Daisy says to Mason about, "Did you know I had a sister?" Which comes from the Episode, "Be Still My Heart" Dead Like Me; Season 2, No. 9. _

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><p>"Morning Rube," George said sliding in next to Mason whom was fiddling with the spoon in his coffee.<p>

"Morning, Peanut." Rube said, sounding surprisingly in a good mood as he crunched down on some bacon. Roxie who was next to him peered at the door. "What the hell is she doing here?"

George turned her head towards the door seeing her roommate, Daisy Adair. But it was the person she was talking to that made Rube look rather furious and Mason sunk lower in his seat.

"Hey there Rube," said Cheshire as Daisy sat down next to George. "Mind if I join you?"

"Yes, I do mind." Rube grumbled, but Cheshire didn't seem to notice as she turned away, searching for a chair. He glowered at her before looking over at Mason rather menacingly. "What is she doing here?"

"I don't know," he said.

"You have to screw everything up, don't you Mason."

"I didn't do anything! And what's to say it's me? Daisy was talkin' to her." Mason whined sinking deeper into his seat, his drink forgotten.

"Sweet girl, my little sister." Daisy said which only soured Rube's mood farther. "I bet she moisturizes."

Mason's eyes widened slightly, "That's you're bloody sister?"

"I didn't know you had a sister." George said.

"Oh yes, lovely thing," Daisy said and noticed the odd looks she was getting from Roxie and Rube. "What?"

"I didn't say anything." Roxie said, "But I don't think I can handle two Daisy's running around."

Rube sighed, pushing away his plate. "Just great, I lost my appetite."

"Why don't you like her, Rube, she's a nice girl," Daisy said, beaming at Cheshire whom had grabbed a chair and started bringing it over.

"Yeah, what she ever do to you?" George chipped in, still rather confused about the whole thing.

"Don't start with me, Peanut." Rube snapped, before looking at Daisy and then Mason, "I've told her before that she's not welcome here."

"We'll that just doesn't seem fair." Daisy quipped.

"But why?" George asked.

"Does it matter, you crazy bitch?" Roxie asked, "The man said she wasn't welcome here. Isn't that enough?"

No. It wasn't enough. George looked at Rube and then over at Roxie, rather irritated, "What she do?"

"Doesn't matter, what matter's is she leaves before I get real angry," Rube said shaking his head at Cheshire.

"Yes it fucking matters!" Georgia yelled.

"Keep you're voice down. She fucks things up every time she's around," Roxie said briskly and then looked over at Rube, "Want me to make her leave?"

"Please." Rube said rubbing his temple as Roxie got up and headed towards Cheshire with her hand on her gun.

"You wouldn't do that would you?" Mason and Daisy said at the same time. Daisy just shook her head as Mason looked down at his coffee.

Daisy cleared her throat, looking sickening cute and sad. Ugh, actress. "I mean honestly, Rube, she's my little sister. Can't you just let it slide. Just this tiny once?"

Rube looked Daisy straight in the eye, "No. And if I catch word that you, any of you, are hanging out with her again I'll make it is the last thing any of you do."

"Please Rube." Daisy begged which surprised George, though she wasn't sure if it was "She'll be devastated-"

"Who will be devastated?" Cheshire asked finally coming back with a chair and Roxie behind her looking severely pissed off.

"I told you to get her out of here," Rube barked at Roxie.

"No need to get angry, Rube." Cheshire said sitting down on the chair. "I'll be gone soon enough."

Roxie pulled out her gun and cocked it. "The man said to get out of here."

"Is something the matter," Kiffany asked concerned.

"No, just a bit of a disagreement is all," Rube said waving her away with his hand but Kiffany didn't move as she watched with uncertainty.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Roxie! Put that thing away," scowled Daisy. "Yes, Kiffany, everything's under control."

"O-okay then," she said scurrying off.

"Yeah, no need to be hasty." Cheshire said, not looking too concerned at the gun pressed between her shoulder-blades.

"Rube asked you to leave." Roxie said.

"Bloody hell Roxie, people are staring," Mason said looking around. "Rube aren't you going to stop her? She's crazy."

"Listen Rube, I'm not trying to mess up your shit, alright? I was just going to have some breakfast with my sister and some friends and leave town." Cheshire said raising her hands slowly.

"You have no friends here." Rube said coldly

"Fine, I get it. I'm gone." Cheshire said as Roxie put her gun away. Cheshire sighed and rolled her eyes at Rube, "I'm gone. Catch you guys around, maybe."

Cheshire took off out the door and out of sight.

"What the fuck was that all about?" George asked rather frazzled.

"Nothing Peanut." Rube said, pulling out a few post-it's, "Here- one for you, one for you, and one for you."


	5. To Happy Time

"I didn't know she was your sister." Mason said to Daisy as they left the Wafflehouse, out of earshot of Rube. George followed close behind listening intently on their conversation.

"We don't get along much, but I ran into her this morning and we just got a talking. I didn't know she was a reaper." Daisy said. Mason stopped and George nearly ran into him. "I just don't know what she would have done to get Rube upset with her."

"D-daisy she's no reaper," Mason said, "Why, why did she say she was?"

Daisy tapped her chin in thought, "No." Curious now, she leaned in towards Mason, "Why else would she look so young?"

"I'm not sure of the full story Daisy. I just know she isn't like us." Mason said, rubbing his neck.

Daisy glanced at her post it. "Well I don't have time to think on it now. My reap is in ten minutes."

"I'll give you a lift," said Rube suddenly right behind George whom tensed up. Mason took off in a full out run to get away from Rube, not even bothering to glance back.

Daisy smiled as she turned around. "That be wonderful, Rube."

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Peanut?" Rube asked, noticing George just standing there.

"Oh, yeah." George said looking at her post-it. Seeing that it wouldn't be until later, George stuffed it in her pocket. She sighed loudly as she headed towards her car saying rather sarcastically, "Happy Time, here I come."


End file.
